I held the sun in my hands: A Memoir

I Held the Sun in MyHands' is the story of a young girl raised in a traditional Jewish familyin Hungary prior to and during WWII. When Germany occupied Hungary on March19th, 1944, Erika Jacoby was deported to Auschwitz, together with her mother.She was among the youngest that escaped the selection of Dr .Mengele and together with her mother, who was among the oldest, she endured and outlasted the atrocities anddeprivations of the Nazi persecutors. In her book she describes how theteachings and values that she absorbed and incorporated into her life in herhome helped her survive Auschwitz and the other concentration camps. She writesmovingly about her painful disappointments in the behavior of her fellow humanbeings, while never losing her faith in God. This unshakable trust in thedivine personal protection inspired others as well not to give up hope. In hermemoir we witness how this young girl took upon herself the enormousresponsibility for her mother's survival, and the impact of that on their relationshipafter the war and, indeed, throughout their lives. The author, a clinicalsocial worker, examines this relationship with much insight and compassion. This book is a remarkable accountof one person's resiliency, ability to cope with adversity and survive not onlyphysically but also spiritually.